China's assistance example for global cooperation amid COVID-19 threat, says SADC official

The COVID-19 pandemic requires the cooperation of all, and China's help for other countries is an example of global cooperation to fight it, Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax has said.

The upcoming extraordinary virtual summit of the Group of 20 (G20) "provides a unique opportunity" for G20 leaders to join hands in the fight against COVID-19, the executive of the inter-governmental organization headquartered in Botswana told Xinhua recently.

However, it is not only about the G20, but everyone has a part to play, she said.

"COVID-19 gives us such a huge challenge that we cannot address it with a 'business as usual' mentality. COVID-19 has declared war on humanity, and humanity needs to throw the war back at the pandemic," she said.

"The socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are going to be immense, and we will feel the effects for a long time to come," Tax said, adding she expects the G20 summit to come up with concrete solutions on how to address this pandemic effectively.

Developing countries will be affected the most, especially economically, which might require some stimulus or rescue packages, and these are some of the topics expected to be discussed during the summit, the official said.

"We, therefore, look forward to continued collaboration between the G20 and developing countries, so that these countries can be further cushioned from the adverse effects of COVID-19 on their economies," said Tax.

China has shared its experience in preventing and controlling the spread of the disease with SADC health ministers at an extraordinary meeting held in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam on March 9, Tax noted.

"We are impressed that China has managed to contain the virus," she said, adding that the SADC thanked China for offering help to several countries in the fight against the pandemic.

She also commended the World Health Organization (WHO) for its efforts to raise awareness on the global pandemic, and rally all countries to proactively curbing the COVID-19 spread.

"One of the major ways of controlling a global pandemic is by encouraging all countries to regularly share information," she said.

In addition, the guidance produced and shared by the WHO on a regular basis facilitates decision-making processes at national levels and helps mitigate the effects of the pandemic worldwide, she said.

The SADC was established in 1992 with a goal to promote socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 16 southern African countries.